The story picks up after Dragon Ball Kai: Majin Buu Arc and revolves around the arrival of the Destruction God Beerus, the resurrection of Frieza, and other events. In Episode 10 (Overall Episode 10), it primarily focuses on Goku's interactions with new characters like Hit from Universe 6, as well as the mysterious disappearance of planets near Earth.

The manga was adapted into two anime series produced by Toei Animation: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996. A media franchise has built up around the series; among the merchandise, there have been both animated and live-action films, collectible trading card games, Dragon Ball Seasons 1-5 DVD action figures, collections of soundtracks and video games. The series was licensed for an English-language release in North America and the United Kingdom by Viz Media, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The companies initially split the manga into two parts, Dragon Ball Seasons 1-5and Dragon Ball Z to match the anime series but the most recent edition of the series was released under its original title

After the horrific battle with Majin Buu, peace has returned to the troubled Earth. In the depths of the distant universe, a terrifying god has awakened. He is the God of Destruction, Beerus. With a penchant for gourmands and an unparalleled sense of whimsy, he will destroy a planet and all life on it without batting an eyelid at the slightest dissatisfaction. He is a formidable deity that even the King of Gods dare not provoke.